Decision making and cancer.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-1-2015
Institution/Department
CORE
Journal Title
The American psychologist
MeSH Headings
Cognition, Comprehension, Decision Making, Early Detection of Cancer, Emotions, Humans, Morals, Neoplasms, Psychological Theory
Abstract
We review decision making along the cancer continuum in the contemporary context of informed and shared decision making in which patients are encouraged to take a more active role in their health care. We discuss challenges to achieving informed and shared decision making, including cognitive limitations and emotional factors, but argue that understanding the mechanisms of decision making offers hope for improving decision support. Theoretical approaches to decision making that explain cognition, emotion, and their interaction are described, including classical psychophysical approaches, dual-process approaches that focus on conflicts between emotion versus cognition (or reason), and modern integrative approaches such as fuzzy-trace theory. In contrast to the earlier emphasis on rote use of numerical detail, modern approaches emphasize understanding the bottom-line gist of options (which encompasses emotion and other influences on meaning) and retrieving relevant social and moral values to apply to those gist representations. Finally, research on interventions to support better decision making in clinical settings is reviewed, drawing out implications for future research on decision making and cancer.
ISSN
1935-990X
First Page
105
Last Page
118
Recommended Citation
Reyna, Valerie F; Nelson, Wendy L; Han, Paul K; and Pignone, Michael P, "Decision making and cancer." (2015). Maine Medical Center. 461.
https://knowledgeconnection.mainehealth.org/mmc/461
